Cell phone numbers are a direct path that often lead straight to us, regardless of where we are or what we’re doing. And once we’ve given someone our number, they have it for good. And if things go south, the only option is to change your number, right?

Pretty much — but that’s easy to do if you used a new app called RingMeMaybe to give them a temporary number in the first place.

The app works similarly to a long-defunct app called RingShuffle that let you grab a new phone number every week, then forwarded calls to that number to your iPhone.

RingMeMaybe does the same, but differs in that it lets you have multiple numbers running at the same time instead of just one. You can tag each number so you’ll know the circumstances under which you gave the number out — on a date, for a Craigslist post, etc.

Unlike RingShuffle, you’ll have to pay for the numbers, using credits (the app comes with enough credits for two free numbers); each number is about a buck and expires after seven days. If you need any number for longer than a week, you can renew it each week indefinitely.

There’s also a similar app called Burner that does pretty much the same thing. Burner, however, charges per minute, but lets you dial out with its numbers. RingMeMaybe’s numbers come with unlimited time, but the numbers can’t be used to dial out.

About the author

When he was eight, Eli Milchman came home from frolicking in the Veld one day and was given an Atari 400. Since then, his fascination with technology has made him an intrepid early adopter of whatever charming new contraption crosses his path — which explains why he's Cult of Mac's test editor-at-large. He calls San Francisco home, where he works as a journalist and photographer. Eli has contributed to the pages of Wired.com and BIKE Magazine, among others. Hang with him on Twitter.

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